The greenhouse gases produced by customers and supply chains typically account for more than 70% of a company’s carbon footprint. This reality means companies often cannot pledge to address their environmental impact without tackling other large sources of emissions within their product lifecycle and supply chains.
In a constant quest for food companies to find the best ways to decarbonize their supply chains, these industries are now looking to prioritize carbon reduction initiatives to assure sustainability-minded customers of their contributions to a healthier planet.
Family-owned Food Express is leading the charge by incorporating an ultraclean, negative-carbon intensity alternative fuel into their mix, known as renewable natural gas or RNG, to help reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and carbon footprint.
RNG is made entirely from organic waste sourced from landfills and dairy farms which account for nearly a quarter of methane emissions in the U.S. It is made by capturing and processing cow manure’s harmful methane emissions, preventing potent greenhouse gases from ever entering the atmosphere.
When RNG is used as a vehicle fuel, it can reduce carbon emissions by over 300% and NOx emissions by 90% compared to diesel. This can make a significant impact in delivery and trucking companies’ Scope 1 greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction goals, as well as their customers’ Scope 3 emissions in transportation.
Food Express has a long-standing commitment of operating sustainably. It currently runs a fleet of 88 heavy-duty trucks that operate on RNG while transporting bulk food commodities throughout California and the Pacific Northwest.
Its shift to RNG is proving successful with a new larger RNG-powered natural gas engine coming to market. Food Express has operated 12-liter engines with RNG for years, but it is one the few shippers that have had the opportunity to trial and integrate a demo model of Cummins’ new X15N 15-liter natural gas engine into its operations.
The X15N is seen as a gamechanger for the heavy-duty fleets. Boasting diesel-like power and torque, it allows for long-haul, challenging terrain routes typically driven with diesel trucks, without sacrificing on performance.
Food Express is adding two more X15N trucks to its fleet once commercially available later this year, a true testament of a successful trial testing the engine’s ability.
“The X15N is a beast. I was worried at first that going green would mean losing power or longer fueling or charging times, but these RNG-powered trucks are just as good as our diesel rigs,” said one of Food Express’ drivers. “I don’t feel like it’s much different to a diesel, a bit quieter maybe, and I know we are doing our part for the environment. That’s a huge bonus.”
Drivers have reported no noticeable difference in the trucks' power, acceleration, or their overall experience. With the same durability and quality expected from a Cummins engine, Food Express’ fleet can maintain demanding schedules while passing on carbon emission reductions to its customers.
“The addition of the new truck with Cummins’ latest clean technology into our fleet falls nicely into our decarbonization plans,” said Kevin Keeney, President of Food Express.
“Having the power and torque of a larger engine is ideal for many of our routes, and it is an added benefit for it to operate with an ultra-low carbon fuel like RNG. We are adding two more X15Ns to our fleet as performance and capabilities have been excellent from just trailing the one demo.”
“We have also just signed a deal with Clean Energy to build one new RNG station, so our growing RNG fleet has convenient, easy access to refuel.”
Feedback from the Food Express drivers continue to be positive with many initially skeptical about the company investing in RNG trucks and making the switch. However, driving the X15N demo model and experiencing the motor first-hand has the drivers converted.
“I thought there might be a learning curve, but it’s straightforward,” a Food Express driver commented, “Honestly, I wish more fleets would adopt this. The trucks run clean, it’s a very impressive motor doing the jobs we need it to do, it has been reliable and powerful.”
RNG stations are currently strategically located throughout California allowing for easy and timely fueling, but Food Express is investing in the building of one new station to add to their one already up and running in Maywood, California.
Food Express has worked with leading RNG fuel provider, Clean Energy, to design and construct its RNG fueling sites and has strategically aligned its routes with Clean Energy’s network of over 600 RNG stations nationwide for convenient on-the-go access to fuel.
As both the transportation and supply chain industries face increasing pressure to decarbonize, integrating RNG-powered engine technology has proven how sustainability and operational efficiency can go hand-in-hand, and that reducing emissions doesn’t have to come at the cost of performance.
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